Posted on 12/13/2024 12:47:22 PM PST by MtnClimber
Explanation: An intriguing pair of interacting galaxies, M51 is the 51st entry in Charles Messier's famous catalog. Perhaps the original spiral nebula, the large galaxy with whirlpool-like spiral structure seen nearly face-on is also cataloged as NGC 5194. Its spiral arms and dust lanes sweep in front of its smaller companion galaxy, NGC 5195. Some 31 million light-years distant, within the boundaries of the well-trained constellation Canes Venatici, M51 looks faint and fuzzy to the eye in direct telescopic views. But this remarkably deep image shows off stunning details of the galaxy pair's striking colors and fainter tidal streams. The image includes extensive narrowband data to highlight a vast reddish cloud of ionized hydrogen gas recently discovered in the M51 system and known to some as the H-alpha cliffs. Foreground dust clouds in the Milky Way and distant background galaxies are captured in the wide-field view. A continuing collaboration of astro-imagers using telescopes on planet Earth assembled over 3 weeks of exposure time to create this evolving portrait of M51.
For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.
🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔
I hate cleaning up after a galaxy collision. There’s dust everywhere!
The red ostrich head to the right looks ominous.
That is no red ostrich. That is a Great Cara Cara eating a Great Blue coiled Space Death Adder.
3 weeks worth of data! Wow, I’ve never seen that much detail in photos of M51. Visually, I’ve seen the Whirlpool Galaxy (it’s popular name), its smaller companion, and just a hint of the bridge connecting them, in my 4 1/5” scope.
It’s pretty cool, especially in a smaller telescope like mine.
Well it could be a Great Cara Cara, but I don’t see the Great Blue coiled Space Death Adder.
Unless the Space Death adder looks like dust. And has a sunny side up egg galaxy in it’s stomach.
I personally like the egg galaxy. I do get tired of eggs sometimes, but they are very versatile, and where there are eggs, there must be chickens.
And of course the women in the egg galaxy are probably eatimg high protein low carb, so they’ll be attractive.
It’s looking at us.
Wow.
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